Syrian refugees in Turkey camps 'exceed 220,000'

The number of Syrian refugees taking shelter in camps in Turkey has exceeded 220,000 as the civil war in Syria enters its fourth year, according to Turkey's emergency management agency, Anadolu Agency reported.

Turkey has allocated to refugees 16 tent cities along with a temporary reception center and six container cities in 10 of its provinces, most of which are located in areas along Syria-Turkey border, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) told Anadolu Agency.

The total number of Syrian refugees in camps in Turkey reached 220,117 as of mid-March, said AFAD.

At least 464,185 Syrians have entered Turkey since the onset of the conflict in Syria in March 2011, while 244,008 Syrians have returned to their country, according to latest official figures.

Humanitarian crisis

The distribution of Syrians living in refugee camps in Turkey by city was reported as; 14,732 in Hatay, 34,135 in Gaziantep, 37,618 in Kilis, 72,254 in Sanliurfa, 15,595 in Kahramanmaras, 11,594 in Adana, 10,016 in Adiyaman, 9,280 in Osmaniye, 7,736 in Mardin and 7,197 in Malatya.

Osman Gerem, the Head of Sanliurfa Branch of the Humanitarian Aid Platform, said nearly three million people have been displaced in the three-year war while about 500,000 have been left disabled.

"The world just sits back and watches the atrocity," he said.

He also criticized the United Nations for not properly responding to the political and humanitarian crisis in Syria.

"The UN only takes decisions on Syria as a matter of form and never puts them into force," he asserted.

'Wronged people'

Gerem reiterated that Turkey will always embrace and shelter the "wronged people of Syria" and continue to provide all support and aid as much as it can.

Following the Geneva talks under the mediation of UN-Arab League Special Envoy Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, the warring sides could not agree on a major deal since the opposition demands Bashar al-Assad step down, and the regime prioritizes forcing foreign groups out of the country, labeling them "radical terrorists".